


The Crash

by kerravon



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Snark, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 04:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerravon/pseuds/kerravon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While searching for a ZPM, the S2 team runs into some rough weather. With Sheppard injured, he and McKay are trapped in some Ancient ruins, and it's up to the rest to rescue them. Right now neither Shep or Rodney are feeling too well...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Crash

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fanfiction, and as such is for fan enjoyment only. All recognizable characters/settings are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is made.

The Crash

By KerrAvon

 

 

“So, why do you think the Ancients stored a ZPM on _this_ rock?” grunted John Sheppard, wrestling Jumper One’s hand controls. This had been another orbital Gate, around a planet whose atmosphere made Venus look like a vacation resort. The entire planet was covered in thick, angry clouds, roiling and writhing with a life all their own. Beyond the visible turbulence, flashes of lightning could be seen that made the 30-year-storm on Atlantis appear tame by comparison. Still, they could always use another Zero Point Module…After a quick check with Weir, they took a chance and headed in.

 

“Hey, I just _read_ the databank; I didn’t write it,” snarled McKay.  Inertial dampeners or not, he wondered once again why the Ancients never saw fit to equip these ships with seat belts as they were hurled upward and then sideways so violently that he had to literally hold onto his seat with both hands. A particularly bright flash of lightning exploded across the viewscreen, which blackened belatedly to compensate. Sparks shot up in a fountain from the forward control panels as the ride suddenly became much rougher.

 

“Hang on!” barked LTC Sheppard as the sticks tried to jerk free of his hands.  Ronon Dex leaned forward in the co-pilot's seat, staring out through the cloudcover for any hint at the underlying terrain.  Swirling miasma whipped past, until he began to make out dark shapes in the distance.

 

Pointing towards the ten o'clock position, he yelled to be heard above the whining of overstressed bulkheads, "Looks like mountains over there!"

 

Gritting his teeth, Sheppard managed a nod.  "Got 'em.  Thanks."  Tilting his chin towards the right, he grunted, "More over there."

 

Dex looked in the indicated direction and managed to make out the outline of craggy peaks there as well.  He had to hand it to the colonel; he sure could fly.  This was like threading a needle in a fogbank.  Keeping his tone low and calm, he added, "How can I help?"

 

His eyes fixed on the viewscreen before him, Sheppard managed to quirk up the corner of his mouth.  "Know any good prayers?"  He never found out the answer, as the ground chose that minute to come rushing up at them.

 

Pulling back hard on the stick, he got the nose of the Jumper up so the impact was mostly on the belly of the craft.  The screaming of the metal crescendoed as a spray of gravel shot up on either side.  All hope of control lost, they skidded starboard until the side of the craft was actually the leading edge, tilting them precariously to port.  The roller coaster ride came to an abrupt halt as they slammed heavily against an outcropping of rock, hurling the passengers within like tenpins into the bulkheads of the now-silent craft.

 

Groaning, Ronon Dex took stock of his surroundings; arms, legs, sidearm - all present and accounted for.  Next, he rolled over to assess his teammates, vaguely aware of the others doing the same.

 

"Everybody alright?"  Sheppard's voice had never been so welcome, although the runner could detect a thread of stress behind the forcibly-cheerful tones.

 

"I'm fine."  'Matter of fact' attitudes worked best in this situation.

 

"Good to hear it."  The stress was more clearly discernable in the colonel's tone - pain perhaps?  Ronon began to feel his way towards the pilot's chair.  "Teyla?  Rodney?"

 

"I am…uninjured," replied a calm female voice to Ronon's left. 

 

"Well, I'm not!," exclaimed Rodney irritably.  "I've got bruises on bruises here, and there's something trapping my leg!"

 

"Can you move it?" Sheppard grunted, clearly trying to shift something in his own region of the cockpit.

 

"Let me assist you."  Teyla had clearly reached the scientist.  Ronon consigned the noise of their combined efforts to the background as he reached his objective.

 

The murky light of a storm-filled sunset filtered in through the front viewscreen, swirling iridescently like the mist outside.  As his eyes became adjusted to the dimness, he identified their pilot sitting propped up against the far bulkhead, his face an unhealthy shade of gray and covered with a fine sheen of sweat.  Sheppard's left leg was stretched out before him, while the right was bent backwards at an unnatural angle and firmly pinned beneath a square hunk of console that appeared to have dislodged during the crash.  Trying to sit up and lever it off was causing the LTC to turn even paler before collapsing back against the wall.

 

"Here.  Let me."  Ronon fished about the cockpit for a minute until he found what he was looking for - a long, straight rod of metal that could be used as a crowbar, and a small, sturdy metallic block for a fulcrum.  Brandishing the tools, he returned to examine the trapped limb just as Teyla and McKay limped up.

 

"Careful, we might need that," hissed Rodney as Ronon decided on a spot and wedged the bar.

 

"What, the console or my leg?" panted Sheppard irritably.

 

The scientist squinted at him.  "Oh, har-de-har, very funny."

 

Dex felt obliged to interrupt.  "Ready?"

 

Sheppard nodded.  "Go for it."

 

The runner made certain that both Rodney and Teyla were clear, then heaved on the lever.  Teyla watched helplessly as Sheppard flung his head back against the wall and clenched his face into an expression of agony.  To her surprise, not one sound was uttered until, with a tremendous groan, the console shifted up a few inches.  "Doctor McKay, help me!"  The Athosian was adamant.

 

Startled, Rodney shot her a quick 'deer-in-headlights' glance.  Seeing the athletic young woman grab Sheppard under one shoulder, he rapidly did likewise with the other and helped her haul their now-unconscious friend from under the wreckage.  Not a moment too soon; Ronon felt the metal shift off his lever and crash back to the floor where Sheppard's leg had just been.  He wiped the sweat from his brow and joined his shipmates in examining the colonel's leg.

 

Bent halfway between the ankle and the knee, the skin above the obvious fracture was macerated, but no bone exposed.  He tore the blood-soaked trousers away from the wound and examined it critically.  Looking up, he caught Teyla's eye.  "Good thing he's unconscious," he commented, and an unspoken request followed.

 

"I will find what we need," came the reply as the Athosian wandered off to do just that.

 

"What?" demanded Rodney.  "What do we need?"

 

"I need you to hold his shoulders while I straighten this leg."  The big man kept his tone even.

 

"Why?  Shouldn't we wait for Carson?"

 

This…scientist…was trying his patience.  "If we don't straighten his leg, the blood flow could be cut off and he could lose it.  We don't know when, or if, help is coming, so we need to rely on ourselves for the time being."  Looking back down at their unconscious comrade, he added, "And it would be kinder to do this while he's still out cold."

 

Gulping nervously, McKay nodded and moved to John's shoulders.  "On the count of three…one…two…three!"  On three, Ronon snapped the leg back into alignment, quickly securing it with two rods and some bandages Teyla had acquired.  Once finished, he sat back and critically examined his handiwork, checking the pulses in the foot and ankle as he did so.  He looked up and nodded.

 

"Good blood flow, and the bone is straight.  This splint ought to keep it that way."  He fixed them both with his unwavering stare.  "Thank you."

 

Any ensuing comment was cut off by a moan from Sheppard.  Everyone focussed their attention on the prostrate man as he blinked open his eyes.  "Am I…loose?" he croaked.

 

Teyla smiled reassuringly.  "You are free."

 

"My leg?" he whispered.

 

"Broken."  Ronon saw no reason to beat around the bush.

 

"Well, at least that's something."  Sheppard struggled to sit upright, finally managing it with Teyla's arm behind his back.  After looking at the splint, he muttered, "Nice job.  I was afraid it was gone."  He looked into Dex's face.  "That was a pretty heavy piece of equipment and I couldn't feel my leg below it."

 

"What about now? Can you feel this?"  Dex gently palpated the tibia just below the fracture and was rewarded with a hissed intake of breath.

 

"Oh, yeah," Sheppard commented when the pain subsided.  "I've definitely got the feeling back!  Let's not do that again anytime soon, OK?"

 

The newest team member shrugged.  "Just checking."

 

"Speaking of checking on things, any chance of getting some emergency lights or something on in here?"  The sun had long since set, and the Jumper was nearly dark.  John stared pointedly at Rodney, who had already disappeared into the rear compartment and was dismantling the side crystal grid box.

 

"On it!" he called back rather distractedly.  Rodney was much more at home dealing with injured machinery rather than people.  Within a few moments his efforts were rewarded by a low luminescence appearing throughout the ship.  The hum of air recirculators clicked in a second later.  McKay stood back and observed his work with satisfaction.  Rubbing his hands together, he turned towards the group expectantly.  "What's next?"

 

Sheppard, resting on his elbow as he took a swig from the canteen proffered by Teyla, raised an eyebrow.  "Well, I could think of a few things.  For instance; do we have a distress signal going?"

 

McKay looked confused.  "Why?  Do you want me to turn it on?  Or turn it off?"  He thought for a moment.  "On the one hand, if it were on, any Wraith in the area could lock onto it.  But if it weren't on, then our own people will have trouble finding us in this soup."

 

Sheppard held up a hand to interrupt the flow-of-consciousness babbling; his head ached.  "Just…find out which it is, all right?"

 

Rodney nodded and crawled under the front panel. Dex took the opportunity to stand as well.  "I think I'll go have a quick look around, see where we're at."

 

McKay's head poked out from under the panel he was working on.  "Do you think that's wise?  I haven't got the sensors up and running yet."

 

Ronon turned from where he was checking his sidearm.  "I thought we did a scan on the way in.  You said the atmosphere was 'breathable, if wet'."

 

"That was from outside the stratosphere!"

 

"How often have you been wrong from that distance?"  Ronon tilted his head as he awaited an answer.

 

Rodney was flustered.  "Well…never…but that's not the point!"

 

Ronon shrugged and turned away.  "Good enough for me.  I'll be right back."  Palming open the back hatch, he stepped into the swirling fog.

 

The scientist turned towards his injured leader.  "Why didn't you stop him?" he demanded imperiously.

 

It was Sheppard's turn to shrug.  "Because he's right."  Looking pointedly at the panel, he asked, "So, is it on yet?"

 

McKay gave a crow of victory.  "Aha!  So you want it _on_!"

 

Sheppard shot him a glance which, more than anything else, said _'Duh'_.  "Of course I do.  How else is anyone going to find us?"

 

Rodney decided to forego the conversation as a lost cause and scooted back under the console.  Teyla placed a folded blanket behind Sheppard's head.  "You need to get comfortable, colonel.  I have to clean that wound."  She gestured expressively to the laceration on his fractured leg, and the LTC steeled himself and closed his eyes.

 

"All right; I'm ready."  Catching his lower lip between his teeth, John managed not to cry out as the Athosian gently washed and bandaged the laceration.  Nevertheless, she was grateful when he slid once more into unconsciousness.  By the time he awakened, she had him nestled securely on the floor with a second blanket tucked in around his shoulders.  McKay was nearby dissecting a MRE and rapidly shoving the edible bits into his mouth.

 

"How…how long?" John managed after a gulp.  His mouth seemed inordinately dry.

 

Recognizing this, Teyla held a canteen up to his parched lips as she replied.  "Only about thirty minutes."

 

Rodney, speaking around a mouthful of 'Country Captain Chicken', gestured towards the panel behind him.  "Beacon's on," he announced.

 

Pulling up again on his elbow, John peered around the compartment.  "Where's Dex?" he asked.

 

"Still outside," Teyla answered.  "I wanted to be certain that you were awake before I went to search for him."  She peered carefully into his eyes.  "Will you be safe if I go?"

 

McKay was offended.  "What am I, chopped liver?  I can take care of things here!"  When both Teyla and Sheppard fixed him with identical 'raised eyebrow' stares, he succumbed, mumbling, "Well, I can…"

 

Teyla threw John a lopsided grin as she shouldered her holster.  "I'll just take a quick look around."  As she went to open the hatch, she jumped back, startled, as it opened seemingly of its own accord.  A very wet runner entered, then shook himself off like a sopping dog.  Teyla brushed the droplets from her coat in mild disgust as he ran a hand through his hair, shaking the dampness out of it as well.

 

"So?  What's out there?"  Sheppard asked impatiently when a report was not forthcoming.

 

Ronon squatted next to the colonel and clasped his hands.  "A lot of wet, and a lot of rock.  Not much else in the immediate vicinity."  He shot a sly look at Rodney as he continued, "Except the ruins, of course."

 

McKay almost banged his head on the console above it.  Swallowing rapidly, he choked out "Ruins?"

 

Quickly the scientist scrambled for his hand-held scanner and pointed it out the viewscreen.  His eyes widened with excitement,  "There's a strong energy source in that…" he pointed towards his right and slightly forward, "direction."  Looking up at Sheppard, he stated the obvious, "Colonel, it could be that ZPM we're looking for."

 

Sheppard nodded tiredly.  "Yeah, but it'll still be there in the morning.  We'll wait until it's light out." 

 

McKay was frustrated.  "The rescue team may be here by then!"

 

"So?  You'll go searching with one of them, then.  We wait until it's _safe._ "

 

"One broken leg per mission is enough," added Ronon. 

 

Sheppard shot him a nasty look, then carefully turned his back to them and pulled up the blanket.  "Let's get some sleep.  Dex, you have the first watch."  It was good to be the king.

 

The night passed uneventfully except for the howling storm.  Daybreak even managed to find a break in the weather; it was merely drizzling through the mist rather than pounding sheets of rain.  Characteristically, McKay was the first up; having pulled the early A.M. watch helped.  Clapping his hands together excitedly, he said, "Rise and shine, rise and shine!" as he passed out MREs.

 

Sheppard took his and cracked an eye open. "Beef Ravioli, huh?  At least I get a brownie."  Sitting upright, he winced a little as he shifted his right leg, but the pain was better than when it had initially been injured.

 

"How do you know that?" asked Rodney, tearing into his own packet and adding the water.

 

"Years of experience, m'boy, years of experience."  He held up the brownie in triumph.

 

Breakfast continued in relative silence.  "Beacon still going?" asked Sheppard, as they began to clean up.

 

"First thing I checked. Yep, still broadcasting.  Help should be here as soon as Atlantis misses our report."  McKay was absorbed in his scanner.  His face lit up as he carefully twisted a dial.  "It's still there.  What say we go pick up a ZPM?"

 

"I'll need a couple of crutches first."  Sheppard was matter of fact.

 

"You are not intending on accompanying us?"  Teyla stared at him incredulously. 

 

Ronon threw in his two cents.  "That would be unwise.  You are not mobile and are highly likely to reinjure yourself."

 

Sheppard shot them a glare.  "Then find me something to use for crutches.  There's no way I'm letting you go without me."  When no one moved, he softened his stance.  "All right.  If it gets too difficult, or I slow you down, I'll be a good little boy and come back."

 

Teyla and Ronon exchanged a glance, then Ronon strode over to the rear compartment, returning momentarily with two crude, but functional crutches.  "I made these last night on my watch," he commented.  "Thought you might need them."

 

Sheppard inclined his head as he accepted them.  "Sorry to be so…predictable."

 

Dex shrugged.  "No problem."

 

Rodney strode up, already geared up, and began rolling his hand impatiently.  "Come on, come on - we're wasting daylight."

 

Sheppard and Teyla stared at the astrophysicist in disbelief as she helped cover the pilot with a waterproof parka.  "Do you mind?"  He gestured to the crutches.  "I might take a few minutes longer than usual."

 

McKay rolled his eyes.  "See?  That's exactly what we were talking about.  We aren't even out the door and you're a hindrance."

 

"I'll do my part.  You just lead the way."  Sheppard was actually snarling by this point, so further objections were dropped.  Teyla and Ronon exchanged an unspoken look which promised that they would both keep a close eye on their injured commander.

 

Outside Sheppard got his first good look at his untimely landing.  The Jumper had clearly touched down on the far side of a wide gravel field and snowplowed its way to its current resting spot against a high rock wall, leaving a trench in its wake.  Water had collected in the deeper parts of the trail overnight, highlighting their path.  However, it was the structures the Jumper rested against that were truly impressive. 

 

Sheppard let out a low whistle.  "Would you look at that?"  Towering above their craft's impromptu resting spot were monumental towers of clearly Ancient design, nestled into the cliff-face just beyond.  Examining the geometrics of the city, he continued, "That would be nearly impossible to see from the air…"

 

"Then I guess our crash was fortuitous," McKay snapped.  "Let's find a way in, shall we?"  He began pacing the external city wall in a northerly direction.  When no one followed him, he turned and practically stomped his feet.  "Well?"

 

Sheppard looked quizzically at Dex, then flashed a crooked smile.  "You want to tell him, or shall I?"

 

"You go ahead."  The runner crossed his arms over his chest.

 

Sheppard, still firmly gripping his crutches with his elbows, cupped his hands to his lips to amplify his voice.  "Hey Rodney!  What's wrong with here?"  He gestured towards the rather sizeable breach made by the Jumper when it impacted the city wall the night previously.  Ancient buildings could be discerned through the mist beyond.

 

"What?  Where?"  Rodney scurried back as the other three watched bemused.  As he caught sight of the opening, he rolled his eyes again.  "Why doesn't anyone ever tell me these things?"  He set off at a good clip to scramble through the defect.  The remainder of the team exchanged grins, then set about helping Sheppard through.

 

On the far side, once they had cleared the rubble, the pavement smoothed out considerably.  John rapidly got used to the makeshift crutches, and soon was hardly slower than the rest of the team.  Rodney set off like a bloodhound, eyes glued to his monitor screen.  "That way," he pointed towards a central building with a tall spire.  They set off across the square, admiring the architecture as they went.

 

The scientist stopped in the doorway, still staring at his scanner. "This is definitely the place," he muttered under his breath.  Reaching out, he palmed the door and let his gene take over.  The entrance slid open with a satisfying 'whoosh'.

 

Inside, the lights came on automatically as the building sensed their presence.  This time it was McKay's turn to let out a low whistle.  The interior of the edifice was, if anything, even more impressive than its façade.  The artificial lighting seemed to come out of the stonework itself, and spread out in an even glow throughout the room.  The floor had a raised dais in its center, but no other markings.  Four doors led off the main chamber, and would have accommodated people over 12 feet tall.  Recalling the robot they had encountered in the depths of Atlantis (see 'Ghosts of Prague'), Sheppard found himself somewhat unnerved, but refused to let it show.  Turning to the Chief Scientist, he asked, "So, which one?"

 

For his part, McKay was intently studying the readings as he went from door to door.  Finally, he came back to the third and proclaimed with complete certainty, "This one.  The power signature is strongest here."

 

Sheppard nodded and Rodney activated the portal and rushed inside.  The remainder of the team followed a little more warily.  The next chamber was almost as impressive as the anteroom, but in a different way.  Ancient equipment lined the walls, seemingly inert and placed there for storage.  The central console was 'live', however, and it was this device that Rodney's scanner seemed to be leading him towards.  Once he reached it, the astrophysicist took one more reading and nodded. 

 

"The ZPM is inside this piece of equipment," he proclaimed as he set his supplies on the floor.  He set about scrutinizing the top and sides of the device, trying to determine how to access its core.

 

"What's it do?"  Dex asked the smaller man curiously.

 

"Who cares?" replied Rodney with distraction.  "I just know there's a zero point module inside."

 

"Shouldn't we figure out what it does before absconding with the thing?" queried Sheppard.

 

McKay sighed and leaned on the tabletop.  "Look, there were no signs of life found on our orbital scan, so we won't be taking away someone's protective field.  No matter what it does on this planet, what it will do on Atlantis will be infinitely greater."  He turned towards Ronon.  "It will aid in our survival," he stressed.

 

Dex glanced at the dubious LTC.  "He has a point."

 

"Yeah, on top of his head.  Find out what it does before you disconnect it McKay."  Sheppard was emphatic.

 

Meanwhile Teyla had wandered over to inspect the items on the wall.  "Colonel…are these weapons?"

 

"Let's see."  Sheppard rapidly hobbled over to where the sleek instruments stood, row upon row, in their specific berths.  Rubbing a hand lightly over the top of one, he was delighted to find it light up in response.  Balancing on his good leg and maneuvering his crutches into his left hand, he extricated the firearm.  "Sweet…" he murmured as he examined it.

 

Straight and true, an apparent site aligned with the far end of what he presumed was the 'barrel' of the gun, although it was solid rather than hollow.  Knowing Dex's innate ability with multiple forms of weaponry, he tossed the device to the warrior as he asked,  "What do you make of it?"

 

Ronon examined it with even more appreciation than the LTC.  "Nice workmanship; could be quite useful.  I'd want to make a few trials first, though."

 

"Well, not in here," snapped Rodney irritably.  Not only had he failed to discover the function of the console before him, but he couldn't even determine how to get it open.  The wind began to pick up outside, heralding the approach of the next storm.

 

"Let's get back to the Jumper before the rain starts up again," suggested Sheppard.  "Now that you've found the place, you can bring a whole team of scientists back to check it out."

 

"Why don't we wait it out here?  It's warm, well-lit, and dry; a rescue party will surely figure out where we've gone."

 

The colonel quirked a smile.  "Because all our food is out there."

 

Rodney dropped his eyes as his stomach warred with his brain; his stomach won, much as Sheppard knew it would.  "Point taken; let's go back."

 

Teyla suppressed a snigger; even their new addition appeared amused.  Rodney pointedly ignored them as he stared at the wall for the first time.  Gesticulating upwards, he suggested, "Why don't we haul a few of these things back for study?  It'll give us something to do while we wait."

 

Sheppard nodded.  "Fine, but no firing weapons in the Jumper, got it?"

 

"Sure, no problem," replied Rodney as he proceeded to shove as many of the smaller items into his rucksack as it could hold, then began gathering more into his arms.

 

Teyla and Ronon each snatched a half dozen different weapons from their storage sites, then nodded.

 

"Come on, Rodney.  That wind's beginning to sound fierce."  Sheppard, recognizing his own limitations, restrained himself from acquiring a gadget or two; instead, he comforted himself with the thought of confiscating a couple from Rodney once they were safely back at the Jumper.  He hobbled towards the door to the antechamber.

 

Staring out the entrance into the courtyard was disconcerting; while technically it was only a little past noon, the illumination was that of late evening.  The cloudcover and sheeting rain was so heavy as to actually block a majority of the sunlight, leading to an appearance of early dusk, punctuated by increasingly frequent bursts of lightning which, when gone, made the dimness seem that much more severe.  "Whew.  What a mess."  Sheppard shook his head in resignation.  "Still, it'll only get worse…" So saying, he steeled himself to enter the downpour, mentally cursing his own curiosity about the ruins.  Just at that moment a brilliant flash of electrical energy struck the pavingstones outside, temporarily blinding the four visitors.  As their eyes blinked clear, they could see the smoking divot left in the courtyard where the bolt had impacted.  As he reconsidered their plan of action, Sheppard murmured, "Or we could wait out the storm here…"

 

The four of them stared out at the storm, aghast.  Ronon finally nodded, "That might be wise."

 

Turning back inside, Sheppard stated, "We might as well check the rest of this place out, since we're stuck for the time being."  The others set down their 'finds' on the floor near the main entrance, where they could be easily located.

 

"Shhhhh!"  McKay stood stock-still and held up a hand for quiet.  "Does anybody else feel that?"

 

The others looked at him quizzically until Teyla's eyes widened slightly.  "Do you mean that…humming sound?"

 

Rodney, still hypervigilant, squinted his eyes in concentration and nodded.  "Yes; the low-pitched vibration…"

 

Ronon slowly turned full circle, his weapon unholstered as he stared at the ceiling.  "It's getting louder."

 

Suddenly metal shutters clanged down over all the doors and windows leading to the outside.  Rushing to the erstwhile entrance, McKay scrutinized its makeup while Ronon and Teyla tried unsuccessfully to pry it open.

 

"You might as well give it up," sighed the scientist, slapping the metal with the palm of his hand.  "It's some sort of blast shielding.  I'd guess that the building's sensors interpreted that lightning strike as a near-miss attack, and went into defense mode.  That vibration we felt was the machinery being activated after millennia of disuse.  I suspect that, when the Ancients occupied this building, it would have slammed shut instantly."  Hands on hips he sighed, disgusted, "We certainly won't be leaving _that_ way."

 

"Then we'll just have to find another way out," answered Sheppard as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

 

"And how do you propose we do _that_?"  McKay huffed indignantly.

 

Sheppard gestured with his right crutch at the opposite wall.  "Three doors we haven't opened; might as well start now.  There might be a back door or a switch to let us raise the shields."  He smiled lopsided at the astrophysicist.  "I'll even let you pick the first one."

 

McKay, torn between curiosity and a sarcastic reply, eventually let his curiosity get the better of him.  Scrutinizing the remaining doors, he finally opted for the door to the right of the chamber with the ZPM and palmed it open.  "After you," he commented with a half-bow and a gesture towards the opening.  Sheppard shrugged and hobbled through.

 

This chamber had clearly been barracks-style living quarters; bunk-beds lined one wall, while miscellaneous chairs, tables, bookshelves and cabinets stood against the other. A barracks-style bathroom stood off to one side while, on the opposite wall, a heavy metal plate was clearly visible outside what would have been a beautiful picture window.  Laying out the blueprint mentally, Sheppard imagined that it probably had a splendid view of the front courtyard and the mountains beyond, _'When the visibility was more than twelve inches,'_ he concluded ruefully.

 

Both McKay and Ronon were examining this shield as thoroughly as the one in the front hall, and coming to the same conclusions.  "Nope. Not getting out this way," commented the alien specialist.

 

Teyla, meanwhile, was exploring the remainder of the room.  "This appears to be sleeping quarters for a sizeable force."

 

"Probably military," said the colonel, easing himself onto one of the chairs and propping up his leg on another nearby.  "Given the sheer number of weapons in the ZPM room."

 

Rodney stared about speculatively.  "Or it could be a military contingent guarding the building."

 

"Whoever they were, they left in a planned fashion, and believed they would be coming back."  Sheppard let his eyes slide shut, if just for a minute.

 

McKay turned to reply, but found himself momentarily at a loss for words.  Slumped like that with his eyes closed, the LTC looked eerily like he had when the eratus bug had been attached to his neck; somehow…vulnerable.  It was disturbing to think of the man as human.  He shook himself and continued, "And what makes you think that?"

 

Without moving, he waved unseeingly towards the bunks.  "Every bed made, with corners sharp and pillows fluffed.  No personal effects anywhere in view - no posters, no letters, no dishes, nothing.  They had time to pack.  Yet, the fact that the bedlinens are here, as are the devices in the other room, lead one to conclude that the occupants expected _someone_ to return someday."

 

Teyla nodded.  "Perhaps when the Ancients summoned everyone to Atlantis, before abandoning this galaxy altogether…"

 

"That would make sense."  Sheppard roused himself, sitting up and reaching for the crutches that he'd set aside.  "Well, if we're done in here, we have two more rooms to check out."  Ronon slipped a hand under his shoulder to help the pilot struggle to his feet.

 

"Perhaps you should rest here while we examine the rest of the edifice."  Teyla was clearly concerned about the colonel's stamina.

 

"Nah, I'm good," he grunted as he balanced again on the crutches.  "Tell ya what, Teyla; why don't you choose next?"  He hobbled back into the anteroom with the others trailing behind.

 

Teyla pointed to the door across the hall.  "Very well.  That one."  The Athosian was used to making decisions, and truly didn't care which room the group explored next.  The door opposite was merely the first that caught her eye.

 

This time Sheppard did the honors, placing his hand on the control box and eliciting a satisfying _whoosh_ as the door slid ajar.  Before he could enter, however, he was unceremoniously edged aside by an exuberant Rodney McKay.  "Now _this_ is more like it!"  he exclaimed as he rubbed his hands together.

 

This chamber was, in shape, a mirror image of the one they had just left. However, instead of beds and chairs, the room was lined with lab equipment.  The wall without the window had a line of tables jutting out at right angles to the wall, with about four feet of space between one and the next.  The countertops were of some impervious plastic material, and each base housed cabinetry and equipment storage space.  Sheppard was uncomfortably reminded of his college chemistry lab, the one he had blown up about halfway through freshman year.  Hobbling away from those unpleasant memories, he went to inspect the shielding that had obscured this window as well, finding it just as impenetrable as the others.

 

McKay, meanwhile, had tuned out the rest of the world.  Booting up one of the Ancient computer terminals, he began scrolling through the data.  "This building…was some sort of top-secret research lab, I think.  The data here is clearly from ongoing military experiments…"

 

Sheppard hobbled over to where the scientist had perched on a lab stool.  "That would explain the location of this place; nestled into the mountain like it is, it would be almost impossible to spot from the air, especially given the speed at which Darts usually travel.  The weather conditions make it practically invisible from the ground."

 

"And the Armory and barracks would be for ground defense if it _were_ discovered," added Ronon as he came up.

 

"If this place were filled with people that important, wouldn't they have an escape route in case of attack?"  Teyla asked pragmatically.

 

Ronon nodded.  "It would certainly be wise.  Of course, the exit might be hidden."

 

"Well, we still have one more doorway to try," suggested the colonel, heading back out.  "Come on, Rodney, we're wasting daylight."

 

Irritably the scientist joined them and snarked, "How can you tell?"

 

"Good point," murmured Dex to Teyla, too low for anyone else to hear.

 

As they made a beeline for the last portal, McKay paused and stared at the first room they'd entered.  Tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully he pondered, "But what is the console in the center chamber for?  The one with the ZPM?"

 

Sheppard patted him on the shoulder.  "I'm sure you'll figure it out. Let's give this a try, shall we?"  Without further ado, he opened the last door and groaned.

 

It was a stairwell.

 

The stairs, although well lit, were quite steep and disappeared rapidly into the depths.  Rough-hewn stone, they appeared to have been carved from the very mountain itself.  Ronon slid his eyes sideways at Sheppard,  "You know, maybe two of us should check this out, while the other two remain up here.  Save time that way."

 

The colonel nodded slowly.  "You may be right…"

 

Rodney interrupted, gesturing at the room they had just departed.  "I volunteer to stay up here for the time being; I'd love to go through that lab in greater detail, and I still need to get the ZPM out."

 

John looked over at the excited scientist and found the corner of his mouth turning up in a grin.  "I guess I'll ride shotgun up here as well; make sure you don't electrocute yourself or something."

 

McKay rolled his eyes, "As if.  I'll have you know that…"

 

"It was a joke, McKay."

 

Rodney stopped mid-protest and snapped his jaw shut on the next words.  Confused, he said merely, "Oh."  Turning on his heel, he headed for the control chamber.

 

Shrugging, Ronon turned to Teyla, "Shall we?"

 

Teyla nodded, then turned to the colonel.  "We shall bring help if we reach the outside," she stated solemnly.  The she started down the stairs, one hand steadying herself on the wall, her giant shadow only two steps behind.  Sheppard watched until they were well out of sight, then sighed and limped to join Rodney.

 

By the time the colonel entered the console room, the astrophysicist had become a one-man hive of activity.  He had discovered a hidden data port on the main terminal and was busily accessing data, then running to other machines in the room to confirm what he had just translated.  Sheppard quickly determined that he could be of little help, so used his crutches to lever himself to a sitting position against the wall just inside the door.  Letting his head lean back, his eyes closed once more of their own volition as his exhaustion overtook him.

 

McKay, meanwhile, had barely registered the fact that someone else had entered the room.  This device was fascinating!  Clearly _not_ experimental, it appeared to be central to the building's defence system.  Yet over 80 percent of its power was _doing something else_ , and he was stumped as to what.  After pouring over the specs he'd dug up for over an hour, he straightened, suddenly aware of a crick in his back.  Rolling his shoulders to try to ease the spasm, he glanced cursorily around the chamber.  His eyes lighted on Sheppard, back against the wall, mouth hanging open, and was struck once more by how… mortal he appeared.  Lines of tension at the lip corners and in the center of his forehead attested to the pain the man was obviously feeling.  Fine beads of sweat also bore witness to the suffering he had carefully hidden while awake.  McKay glanced at the now-filthy bandage on the splinted right leg, and reflected that it probably should be changed.  Still, they hadn't carried the supplies with them since they weren't planning on being gone that long.  He considered using some linens from the bunkroom, but was hesitant to introduce millennia-old bacteria into a fresh wound.  Sighing, he turned back to his work.  _'If this console controls the building's defenses, then maybe I can raise the shields manually.  I'll concentrate on that right now.'_

 

In the background he could hear the comforting sound of Sheppard snoring.

\----------------------------

 

Teyla estimated that they had gone almost five stories down before the stairwell ended, opening up into a narrow, up-sloping tunnel.  The lighting got much worse at this point, causing both explorers to squint as they peered into the dimness.

 

"Try your flashlight," instructed Teyla, unclipping her own from its harness.  The two lights made little dent in the dimness of the tunnel, which extended far beyond their illumination.

 

Looking back up the shaft, Teyla was again impressed by the sheer quantity of rock they had descended through.  A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she turned questioning eyes to her companion.  "I wonder if our radios will penetrate this much stone."

 

Keying the mike on her headset, she spoke quickly, "Colonel Sheppard, can you hear me?"  A pause, then she tried again, "Colonel Sheppard, are you there?"

 

Silence greeted her.  Dex activated his own radio, "Doctor McKay, Colonel Sheppard, do you read?"

 

Silence again.  Shrugging, he stared back down the tunnel.  "Guess the signal won't go through this much rock; makes sense - escapees wouldn't want to be detectable to attackers above."

 

"Then we are on our own," concluded Teyla, heading down the passageway.

 

Ronon was grateful that they'd brought their flashlights.  The floor was much rougher here, and groundwater had started seeping through the stone walls.  Footing was treacherous at best, with rocks littering the ground where they had fallen over time.  The additional light kept them from tripping innumerable times.  Additionally, it got treacherously slippery in areas where moss had grown over the granite pathway.  The pair spent the next hour tediously picking their way through the rubble, finally reaching a particularly large rockfall spanning the corridor. 

 

Staring up at the mound of unsteady stone, Ronon commented, "I'm glad Sheppard isn't here right now."

 

Teyla nodded in agreement.  "If my estimation is correct, a rescue team should have found the Jumper by now and is currently trying to discover our location.  If we can bring them back with us, I am certain that we'll be able to extricate the colonel."

 

Still staring at the debris, Dex continued, "You wanna go first, or shall I?"

 

"I am lighter.  I should go first."

 

Ronon flicked her a smile and inclined his head, "After you then."

 

Searching for a handhold on the slippery rock, Teyla carefully set her feet in niches between stones.  Then, moving only one limb at a time, she gingerly tested each hand- and foot-hold before placing her weight on it.  Ronon watched her every move with an eagle eye, then carefully mimicked the safe holds, placing his hands and feet at precisely the same angles.  Twenty minutes later they had reached the top.

 

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ronon inspected an abrasion he'd gotten on his forearm when the rock he'd been braced on had suddenly given way.  Satisfies that it was relatively superficial, he grunted and looked ahead.

 

"Seems pretty localized."

 

Teyla agreed, "A few strong arms could clear enough to get a stretcher safely across."

 

Dex looked at her. " _If_ this is a way out, and not just a dead end."

 

The corner of the Athosian's mouth quirked up.  "There is only one way to determine that."

 

Ronon gestured forward, "After you."

\--------------------------

 

"No, that can't be right."  Rodney muttered to himself.  He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of a deployed panel on the outer aspect of the control console.  Within were three parallel rows of crystals nestled in a bird's nest of wire.  McKay was systematically cross-circuiting the crystals and gauging the result on his hand-held, which he had spliced into the circuit.  Outside the wind howled a cacophony that was audible through even the unyielding metal that barred their exit.  A terrific _Boom!_ of another nearby lightning strike startled him, causing him to almost drop his probe.  Wide-eyed he stared about the chamber, only to shake his head in disbelief at the still-slumbering Sheppard.  The man's head was tilted awkwardly to the side, and his mouth hung open in soft snoring.  _'That looks unpleasant,'_ McKay thought as he stood to stretch stiff muscles.

 

 _'I'd bet even millennia-old blankets and pillows would be more comfortable than that.'_   Not one to usually be solicitous towards the well-being of others, he figured he could use the break anyway and headed for the door.

 

"Going somewhere, Rodney?"

 

The scientist nearly jumped out of his skin.  Whirling, he threw a hand to his chest and cried, "Don't _do_ that!"

 

Sheppard, now wide-awake, sat staring back at him bemused.  "Do what?" he asked pleasantly.

 

Rodney was indignant.  "Not thirty seconds ago you were dead to the world, despite Mother Nature doing her best to tear this place down around our ears.  I stand up and head for the door, and you're instantly alert!  How is that possible?"

 

The soldier shrugged, "I dunno.  I've always had some sort of subconscious filter; I can sleep through WWIII if it doesn't concern me, but if you whisper my name at a hundred yards, I'm awake and good to go."

 

Rodney grunted.  "Must come in handy in the military."

 

Sheppard grinned.  "You have no idea.  And you haven't answered my question yet."  He started to struggle to his feet using the crutches as support, only to find the physicist's proffered hand in front of his face.  Taking it, he hauled himself upright with a modicum of effort.

 

"Actually, I was going to go drag in a pillow and blanket for you so you could get some rest."

 

Sheppard waved the idea away.  "Nah, I just had a power nap.  I'll be fine for hours."  He looked curiously at the partially dismembered console.  "Have you figured out what it does yet?"

 

McKay looked back at his work in frustration.  "It seems to be managing the building defenses, but I haven't found the correct circuit pathway to open the shields yet."

 

Sheppard tilted his head to listen to the perpetual hurricane outside and said slowly, "Well, now, maybe that's a _good_ thing."

 

The scientist bobbed his head from side to side as he nodded.  "I think the structure survived all these years without the blast shields being deployed; no reason for that to stop now."

 

Sheppard, crutching over to the exposed wiring, was suddenly struck by a thought.  "Say, why hasn't it activated before?  This appears to be the never-ending storm we're in here."

 

"I have a theory on that.  Notice how the lights came on when we entered?  I suspect our arrival activated the software to click into 'inhabited' mode.  If no one is inside the building, the there is no reason to waste energy defending it; now that we're here, we must be kept safe."

 

The LTC nodded consideringly.  "Yeah, that would make sense.  Means also that there ought to be a simple way to raise the shields, once the threat was over."

 

Rodney's temper flared as he gestured angrily to the panel.  "Then be my guest; I guess I just missed the big red button that says 'raise shields'"

 

"Don't get your panties in a twist; I was just thinking out loud," replied Sheppard placatingly.  "Still…" he trailed off as he studied the complex machine, studiously ignoring the glare that was burning into his shoulderblades.

 

Running his hands over the polished surface, he encountered a small defect.  Prying at it, he unfolded a hidden switch.  Eyebrows raising in surprise, he wondered aloud, "Hello, what have we here?"

 

McKay, anger forgotten, was instantly at his side peering over his shoulder.  "What?  Where?"

 

Sheppard shifted aside to allow Rodney access.  "This switch here - it was hidden in the panel housing."

 

"Huh."  Rodney scrambled into the open compartment beneath and tried to trace it out, but gave up after a few fruitless minutes.  Standing again, he pursed his lips and said, "I guess there's only one way to figure out what it does.  Do you want to press it, or shall I?"

 

Sheppard smiled.  "Be my guest," he waved magnanimously at the board.

 

McKay reached out and hit the button, then stood back anxiously.

 

The pilot glanced around the room, then hobbled to the door to check out the shielding. Coming back, he stated, "Well, that was a bust.  The exit's still blocked."  Coming over to stare at the panel, he asked, "Are you sure you hit it hard enough?"

 

Rodney stared at him in disbelief.  "Yes, I'm sure.  Try it yourself if you don't believe me!"

 

John raised his hands in surrender, "OK, OK, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to malign your button pressing capability."

 

McKay snorted.  "Good.  Now let me get back to work."  So saying, he plopped back down and resumed work on the panel with the crystals.

 

Figuring that discretion was the better part of valor, Sheppard cleared his throat and addressed the scientist's back.  "I'll just check out the other room again, shall I?"

 

"Sure, whatever," muttered McKay distractedly.

 

Sheppard turned to go, then slid his eyes sideways at Rodney as a thought occurred to him.  After assuring himself that McKay was oblivious to his surroundings again, he quietly reached forward and pressed the button himself, _hard_.  Glancing around again, he shrugged when nothing happened, then limped out to the other room with his crutches.

\---------------------------------------

 

"The signal's definitely coming from the Northern Hemisphere."  Sgt. Dunne, piloting the rescue Jumper, called over his shoulder. 

 

"Can you get a better fix on it?" asked Major Lorne intently.

 

"Sure, but I'll have to get lower."

 

"Fine, but try to stay as far above that mess as possible."  He gestured to the maelstrom filling their front viewscreen.

 

When the survey team had failed to make their scheduled check-in, Weir had ordered the address dialed up from the Atlantis side.  Once the wormhole established, they had tried unsuccessfully to make radio contact.  However, a wide sweep of available bandwidth had yielded the automatic distress beacon, and a rescue team was dispatched.  Taking one scan of the planet upon arrival yielded a probable cause for the beacon; the weather had gotten them.

 

"Major, the storm is clearing in the region of the beacon!"  exclaimed the pilot excitedly.

 

"Well, drop her down; no telling how long this will last."  The Major ordered, then called to the rest of his team, "Hope everyone took their Dramamine; we're going down fast!"

 

They made it through the majority of the atmosphere and had even sighted the downed ship when all hell broke loose.  The storm, like a sentient thing, suddenly came back to life, buffeting the small craft in the unexpected gale.  To give Sgt. Dunne credit, he was a natural at flying the Jumpers; he wrestled the ship the last 200 yds to the relative safety of the ground, managing to land only a few yards from the wreck.  Maj. Lorne whistled appreciatively and slapped the soldier on the back.

 

"Nice job!"  Turning to the group behind him, he ordered, "Gear up, and let's go find our people!"

\-------------------------------------------

 

"Hey, I think it's getting lighter in here," commented Dex after they had traveled a bit further.

 

Teyla halted, then flicked off her flashlight and looked around.  As her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she could distinctly see increased illumination in the corridor ahead.  "You are correct.  Perhaps we are approaching the surface."

 

The runner glanced back at the hall behind them and did some mental calculations.  "We should be.  We've ascended almost as much as we originally went down."

 

Teyla tilted her head and listened closely.  "I do not hear the storm."

 

"Perhaps there is a barrier at the far end," suggested Ronon.

 

"Or perhaps the storm has abated."

 

Ronon shrugged.  "Perhaps.  Let's go see."

 

The pair hiked another fifty yards or so before turning a corner and having to shield their eyes from the daylight that poured into the tunnel.  Blinking, Ronon was the first to acclimatize and head for the opening.  Taking a quick glance outside, he called back,  "We are only perhaps half a mile from the Jumper."

 

Teyla came up to join him, then stared about in disbelief.  "The rain has…stopped?" 

 

Ronon, scanning the surrounding area, suddenly pointed upwards.  "Look!  There's our rescue party, just like you predicted." 

 

A tiny blip was visible on the horizon, but it was rapidly enlarging and clearly headed for the crash site.  Teyla was unable to ascertain that it was a Jumper, but she had to agree that the probability was high.

 

As the pair scrambled out of the tunnel to meet the backup team from Atlantis, she turned to make certain that they could positively locate the entrance so that they could bring aid to the LTC.  Amazed, she grabbed Dex's arm and swung him around as well.

 

"Did we not just leave that spot?" she asked pointing at what now appeared to be sheer cliff wall.

 

Ronon approached the rocks suspiciously.  "Absolutely.  The entrance should be right…here!"  His words rose, startled, as the hand he was running along the rock suddenly disappeared.

 

Teyla recognized the technology.  "A hologram," she pronounced.  "We have encountered these before."  Picking up a softer white stone, she made a large "X" on the wall just to the right of the opening.

 

"There.  Now we shall be able to find our way back."  They turned again and headed towards their ship.  The approaching craft could now be clearly identified as a Jumper, and Ronon shot her a triumphant grin.

 

As if a switch had been thrown, the clouds suddenly clapped together and let loose with a vengeance.  Both Teyla and Ronon were drenched in a matter of seconds, instinctively returning to the tunnel they had just left.  From its relative shelter they watched, aghast, as the incoming ship slued hard to port, righted itself, and tried to adjust trajectory.

 

"They're going to crash as well!" exclaimed Ronon.  He prepared to run out into the storm the minute they did to try to help any survivors.  To his astonishment, however, the ship's pilot managed to maintain control, setting the vehicle down just yards away from the crash site.

 

Dex gave a low whistle.  "Now _that's_ what I call a pilot!"  He was oblivious to the dirty look Teyla shot at him as he again readied to face the rain.  "Come on, help is here!"

 

The pair waited for a comparative lull in the weather, then sprinted for the new Jumper.

 

Just as they arrived the back hatch swung open to reveal Major Lorne, Sgt. Dunne, and two burley Marines.  The Major gestured them all inside, then closed the hatch again. 

 

"Where's Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay?"  Lorne got right to the point.

 

Teyla, gratefully taking a proffered towel from one of the Marines, replied, "Still inside the city.  The Colonel has a broken leg, and when the blast shielding came down he was unable to exit through the escape tunnel."

 

Lorne, raising an eyebrow, replied, "Maybe you should begin at the beginning."

 

Fifteen minutes later the entire group had a clearer understanding of the situation.  Next, Major Lorne tried to reach LTC Sheppard on the headset, without success.  "Must be the electricity of the storm," he concluded, listening to the wind howl outside.  Pondering a moment, he rapidly came to a decision.  "We'll try going back up the escape tunnel first.  You and you," he indicated the two Marines, "will be litter-bearers.  Grab a stretcher and let's get going."

\--------------------------------------

 

"Rodney, are you making any headway at all?"  Sheppard hated inactivity, and, while Rodney would no doubt be enthralled for hours by the experimental machines left behind by the Ancients, he found it difficult to become interested.  Of course, the incessantly worsening throbbing in his leg wasn't helping his concentration any, nor was his complete inability to raise anyone on the headset radios.  He tried from various areas of the building without success, eventually concluding that it was either the steel in the shutters or the electrical interference of the storm itself.  Finally giving it up as a lost cause, he returned to where McKay was still working.  Nagging him beat worrying hands down.

 

Rodney fixed him with a frustrated glare.  "Yes, of course.  I had the shield controls located an hour ago, but just decided to play around with this thing's innards instead."  His sarcasm was lethal by this point.  "I know ten thousand things it's not, but _no_ , I'm not 'making any headway'!"

 

Sheppard was in no mood.  His leg hurt abominably, he alternated between being too hot and too cold, he was hungry, thirsty, and wanted irrationally to just _go home_.  "Well, did you at least figure out what my button does?" he snapped.

 

" _Your_ button?!?"  Rodney was hungry and irritable as well, and was beginning to notice the fine tremor he usually got whenever he went hypoglycemic.  At that point he'd be no help to anybody, and he really didn't trust Teyla and her pet Neanderthal to be able to get them out of this mess, so time was of the essence, _and Sheppard wasn't helping!_   "Which button precisely have you claimed as _yours_?"

 

"That one," the colonel jabbed a finger toward the hidden switch he'd located earlier.  "What does it do?"

 

"I'm sorry," Rodney replied, making it clear that he was not sorry in the least, "It wasn't very high on my priority list."

 

Sheppard closed his eyes and took a deep breath; _'This fighting is NOT going to get us out of here!'_   Opening them again to Rodney's glare, he spoke more rationally.  "Sorry, Rodney, I'm…just tired is all.  Nevermind about the stupid button."

 

Rodney sat for a moment as he visibly got control of himself and a thoughtful look enetered his eyes.  He suddenly stood, waving his index finger in the air. "No, you may have something there.  It _was_ hidden, after all….it must have _some_ special purpose.  Maybe if I put back all the crystals…"  He knelt back down to do so, but found himself grabbing the console edge as the world grayed around him. _'Oh, this is not good…'_

 

Once his vision had cleared, he rapidly completed his task and stood up once more.  The episode wasn't lost on Sheppard, who had to grasp his upper arm to get his attention. 

 

"Are you all right?" he asked with concern.

 

"Yeah, sure. I'm fine."  McKay replied hurriedly.  He found he couldn't actually lie to Sheppard and look him in the eye, so he concentrated on the panel controls.  While he did manage to suppress the slight tremble in his hands, the fluttering in his stomach and the cold sweat on his brow told him that this was far from over.

 

The colonel was not fooled, but let it slide; there was no help for it right now, anyway.  "Shall we try it again?"

 

Rodney shrugged.  "Why not?" and slapped the switch.

\----------------------------

 

Trudging back up the slope was more time consuming than running down it had been, but was somewhat drier given the spare raingear Lorne had made them wear.  Teyla was scanning the cliff face for her mark when suddenly the downpour abruptly _stopped_.  Blinking in surprise, she looked up as the clouds actually began to disperse before her eyes.

 

"I have never before seen a storm behave in this…peculiar manner.  Does weather on your world do so?"

 

The Major, staring upwards as well, shook his head.  "No place I've ever been, Ma'am."  He decided to try to reach LTC Sheppard during the lull in the storm, and keyed his mike.

 

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne.  Do you read me?"

\-----------------------------

 

McKay and Sheppard, both intent on seeing any changes in their environment wrought by 'The Button', jumped awkwardly when John's comm sprang to life.  Fumbling for the speaker, the pilot quickly answered. 

 

"Major!  It's good to hear your voice!  We're in a bit of a jam here and could really use some help…"

 

"We heard all about it; Teyla and Ronon are with us now.  We're going to try to reach you via the tunnel they escaped through."

 

"Glad to see you got the radios working."  Sheppard had been worried about his loss of contact with the two Pegasus natives.

 

"We had a sudden freakish lull in the storm; otherwise it screws with communications."

 

Sheppard grinned.  "Let's be grateful for small favors, shall we?  What's your ETA?"

 

Lorne glanced at Teyla.  "Probably several hours.  We'll need to do some rock-clearing on the way."

 

"Looking forward to seeing you.  Sheppard out."  The LTC flipped off his radio and shot Rodney a relieved smile, which was reflected right back at him. 

 

After a moment of grinning like two idiots, Rodney clapped his hands, rubbed them together, and turned back to the console.  "Let's get some work done then, shall we?" he said, pushing the button once again while carefully watching the panel below.  Sheppard limped over to see if he could help.

\------------------------------

 

Major Lorne clicked off his mike and turned to the expectant group.  "You heard the man; let's get going."  So saying, he resumed their hike towards the cliff.  The group had only traveled a few yards when the clouds suddenly reappeared and let loose again with a vengeance.  Glancing upwards, the Major muttered, "Good thing I called when I did…"

\---------------------------------

 

"No!" McKay slammed a fist onto the machine in a fit of anger after an uncounted number of trials with 'the button', startling Sheppard who had been drowsing against the wall again.  He jerked awake, jarring his fractured leg which began throbbing again unmercifully.  An inadvertent hiss of pain escaped his lips as he belatedly grasped his knee to keep the limb still.

 

"Rodney!" he snapped once he could catch his breath.  "Was that absolutely necessary?"

 

"Sorry," came the mumbled reply.  Something in the shaky tone caused alarm bells to go off in John's head, and his own extremity suddenly became secondary.  Scrutinizing his companion, he was instantly struck by how _wrong_ McKay looked.  The man stood still in front of the console where he'd been working for hours, arms braced on its edge, leaning heavily forward.  It was the complete lack of movement that was so wrong, John realized.  The LTC's eyes narrowed as he took in the details; the waxen complexion, the fine sheen of sweat, the arms trembling uncontrollably…  Now truly alarmed he levered himself off the floor, ignoring his own protesting muscles in the process, although a sharp spike from his leg had him gasping for breath.  Was it him, or was it hot in here?  Ignoring that thought as irrelevant, he waited for the spots to recede from the edges of his vision then hastily grabbed his crutches and hobbled towards his friend.

 

"Hey McKay, you all right?"  It seemed proper somehow to ask, even if he could see from a mile off that the answer was 'no'.

 

The scientist didn't answer, but continued to lean forward on his hands.  As Sheppard approached he also noticed the too-fast panting breaths and glazed eyes.  Grasping McKay's shoulder supportively, he asked, "Rodney?"

 

The scientist shrugged off his hand in irritation.  "Leave me alone!" he snapped, refusing to meet Sheppard's eyes.

 

Before John could respond, McKay's pasty expression turned an unhealthy shade of green and his eyes widened.  As the colonel reached for him again, the astrophysicist lurched to the side, clapping his hands over his mouth as he headed for the far wall.  "Gonna be…sick…" He didn't quite make it before falling to his knees and emptying whatever little bile and acid was in his stomach, then dry heaving.

 

Sheppard had been on enough benders in college to know how Rodney felt to a degree, although he still didn't know why.  Following as quickly as his splint would allow, he held Rodney's shoulders as he threw up, then handed him a canteen to rinse his mouth.  McKay took it gratefully, then, after returning it, spent a few minutes on his knees with his head down just taking deep breaths.

 

After the worst had passed, Sheppard said quietly, "Is this your hypoglycemia?  I had no idea that it could be so nasty. Is it always like this?"

 

Rodney started to shake his head, thought better of it, then just answered, "No, I usually stave it off before it gets to this point, especially since I started working for the SGC."  Shooting the LTC a weak smile, he continued, "One thing about Americans; there's always food around!"  He held his hand up to his face and studied its tremor.  "I'd guess my blood sugar right now is somewhere between 50 and 60; I've had worse, but only once or twice since high school."

 

"Think you can stand?" Sheppard asked solicitously.  When the scientist nodded, he wedged a hand under the man's arm and helped lever him up, which was quite a trick given his own current disability.  "Look, I've got a nice, comfy wall over here that I'm willing to share…" Steering him away from the mess, the LTC half-guided, half-carried the ailing genius to the wall near the door, settling him on the floor before sitting down again himself.  Rodney drew his knees up and rested his forehead on them, forcing himself to take slow, deep breaths.

 

It was several minutes before he felt up to saying anything, and his mouth was so dry he wasn't sure he'd get it out.  "Water?" he croaked softly.

 

Fortunately Sheppard was listening for just such a request and, while he wished he had a Power Bar to offer along with it, proffered his canteen again.  Rodney took it gratefully and sipped carefully until he was certain that the nausea had abated, then took several gulps in earnest.  Sighing, he leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as he returned the canteen.  "Thanks," he whispered, "Better."

 

Sheppard, still feeling overheated, took a drink himself before he stoppered it.  "Anything else I can do?"

 

"Not unless you've got some food stashed away somewhere…"

 

There was true regret in the colonel's reply.  " 'Fraid not, but I will from now on."

 

" 's all right," Rodney slurred tiredly.  "Glycogen stores start converting…blood glucose will rise on its own shortly.  Maybe not to normal levels, but at least I'll be…functional."

 

Sheppard shrugged in studied nonchalance.  "Don't sweat it.  The rescue party will be here soon, we'll both get medical treatment, then we'll get out of here.  When the scientific investigational team comes back, _they_ can figure out how to raise those shields, extract the ZPM, _and_ what that blasted button does!"

 

Rodney sat and stared glaze-eyed into the distance, as his legs felt like jelly.  Still, his mind was beginning to recover; it could work while his body rebelled, although certainly not at full capacity.  "All right, let's go over what we know," he reasoned aloud.  Speaking always helped him focus his thoughts when he was exhausted.  "That button is clearly important, as it is both prominent _and_ hidden.  In the last hour or so I've pretty well determined that it activates the 80 percent of that machine's power utilization that I can't otherwise account for.  It's primary purpose seems to be the protection of this top-secret military research facility, but nothing observable occurs when we turn it on…" His eyes widened slightly as his brain geared up a notch.  "Wait a minute.  Nothing observable _inside this building_ occurs - what if it is something _outside_?  We wouldn't be able to tell from here…"

 

"You mean, like electrifying the metal plating outside?"  Sheppard forcibly quelled the vision of Major Lorne, Teyla and the others becoming an impromptu barbecue at the inadvertent flick of a switch.

 

"Perhaps…"  Rodney had a near-photographic memory, and lapsed into silence as he mentally replayed the series of trials, this time concentrating on any information that could be gleaned from sources _outside_ the chamber.  His eyes narrowed as a theory began to form.

 

"Colonel, what was it Major Lorne said the one time he contacted us?"

 

"That Teyla and Ronon were safe and they were bringing back a rescue party."

 

"No, no, before that."  Rodney was snapping his fingers as he tried to recall the exact words.  "They'd had 'a sudden freakish lull in the storm' that had allowed radio contact, right?"  He turned his still-too-pale face towards the LTC.  "You don't suppose…"

 

Sheppard followed the train of thought, but shook his head.  "Nah, must've been coincidence.  I mean, that's not even possible, is it?"

 

McKay quirked the corner of his lip in a half-smile and tilted his head.  "You have to admit, it makes a heck of a defense - it got us, after all!  Can you imagine what all that electrical energy would do to a Dart?"  He struggled to his feet, where he swayed alarmingly for a moment.

 

"Why don't you sit back down and rest until the team arrives?  There'll be plenty of time later to test your hypothesis."  Sheppard was pragmatic, and really didn't feel up to catching the scientist if he passed out.

 

Distractedly the scientist replied, "No, no, I'm good.  I just have to check this out…"  So saying, he staggered back to console and reopened the front panel. 

 

Sheppard sighed, closed his eyes for a long moment, then pried himself off the floor yet again. _'Stubborn idiot,'_ he thought, although he was truly uncertain if he was referring to himself or McKay.  As he hobbled back to the Ancient device, he carefully observed as Rodney stood, rapt, listening to the remote sounds of the storm outside.  After McKay was certain of the sounds he heard, he slowly reached forward and flipped the switch.  Both men continued to listen intently.

 

Over the next sixty seconds the distantly howling winds and pounding rain abated, until there was complete silence.  Catching Sheppard's eye, he flipped the switch again…instantly the far away cacophony resumed.  Not quite believing it himself, Rodney repeated the procedure twice more, with the same results.

 

Sheppard narrowed his eyes, suddenly recalling their rescue party.  "You don't suppose Teyla and the others…"

 

McKay waved aside his worries.  "Oh, they've long since entered that tunnel they mentioned, I'm sure.  Besides, I've hit that button at least a couple of dozen times between their check-in and now."

 

"Actually, I was thinking about _right after_ radio contact…"

 

McKay's mouth opened into an 'O' as he tried to accurately recall the chain of events.  "We _did_ hit that button again just a couple of minutes later."

 

"I wonder how wet they'll be when they get here?"  Sheppard mused.  "You know, we might not want to tell Dex just what the machine does when he first arrives."  A sopping-wet, _angy_ Ronan Dex struck him as a 'bad idea'. 

 

Rodney, clearly thinking the same thing, nodded his agreement.  "And I'll make certain it's 'off' now, so leaving will be a lot more pleasant."

 

"Good idea."  The room suddenly swam before his eyes, and it was McKay's turn to support him.  He blinked to clear his vision, then focussed on the worried face of his friend.

 

"Sorry; guess the heat's getting to me."  He tried to make light of the situation.

 

"It's not hot in here," replied the scientist, feeling his forehead with the back of his hand.  "But I think you're running a fever…"

 

Sheppard snorted.  "Fine pair of invalids _we_ are."

 

McKay raised an eyebrow.  "Speak for yourself; a couple of Power Bars and I'll be right as rain." 

 

The colonel giggled disconcertingly.  "Right as rain…good one."

 

Rodney stared at him as if he'd grown a horn in the center of his forehead.  "You're delirious," he pronounced, looping an arm beneath his friend's shoulders.  "Let's get you sitting down again." 

 

"OK," replied Sheppard agreeably, and the pair staggered back to what John was beginning to think of as 'his wall'.  

 

As he slid back down to his earlier position, he commented, "That really is an effective protection - the storm cuts visibility down to zero, makes safe navigation through the air nearly impossible, screws with sensors and communications, and can be turned off with the flick of a switch once an incoming craft has been identified as 'friendly'…I wonder if we could move it to Atlantis?"

 

"Probably not a good idea; we float on water, remember?  This thing would probably sink us."

 

Sheppard pouted for a moment, then nodded.  "Yeah.  'S too bad though…"

 

Rodney, although still feeling rather ill himself, was anxious to see if he could extricate the ZPM now that the device was off.  Catching the lieutenant colonel's rather glazed expression, he stared into his eyes to make certain he was understood.  "I'm going back over there for a few minutes.  You stay here and rest, all right?"

 

John nodded; he didn't have the strength to get up right now anyway.  Apparently McKay was satisfied, for he nodded, stood, and headed back to the machine.  Within seconds he was enmeshed within its internal components, only a residual tremor betraying his continued problem.

 

Despite his own weakness, Sheppard still kept one eye on the oblivious scientist until he was certain that McKay wasn't going to pass out, then he allowed himself to doze.

\--------------------------------------------

 

"Colonel Sheppard?  Doctor McKay?"  Teyla called as the rescue party climbed the final stairwell.  Turning to the Major, she puzzled, "I would have expected them to be waiting at the top."

 

"Well, it did take longer than we had predicted to get here," replied Lorne.  "We may be six able-bodied people, but that was a _lot_ of rock to shift back there."

 

"It was necessary to do so in order to safely transport the Lieutenant Colonel on our return trip," Ronon insisted.

 

Lorne threw up his hands in surrender.  "No argument here; I'm just saying that they might have decided to wait somewhere more comfortable."  He considered, then called down to the Marines following, "Just in case, when we reach the top landing, assume Recon Formation Beta.  Teyla, you and Ronon will follow our lead until we're certain that there are no hostiles."

 

The two aliens nodded, Ronon in approval.  Very sensible.  They finished ascending in silence, gathering quietly on the top landing.  Major Lorne used hand signals to deploy his men, then silently eased open the door to the anteroom.

 

No one was in immediate evidence, and the four soldiers spread out, weapons at the ready.  Lorne raised a quizzical eyebrow at Teyla, who indicated the control room door with her chin.  Entering it from the side where he would make the most difficult target possible, the team in the entry hall saw him glance down and to the right, grin broadly, and lower his weapon.  Despite his obvious relaxation, however, he motioned them to remain quiet as they entered the room.

 

Teyla, confused, nevertheless followed his instructions and eased in.  The first thing she noticed was that the central console appeared to have been completely disassembled, no doubt by one hyperactive astrophysicist they all knew and loved.  Then her eyes followed Major Lorne's pointing finger to the wall near the door and she found herself smiling as well.

 

There, leaning against the wall sat both men, sound asleep.  Sheppard's head rested on the wall itself, with his mouth in an 'O' through which soft snoring emanated.  Rodney, seated immediately adjacent, had his head resting on Sheppard's shoulder with a small trail of drool coming out of _his_ open mouth and puddling on the colonel's LBE.  Cradled protectively in the unconscious scientist's arms was a ZPM.

 

"I guess we _did_ take longer than they expected," commented Ronon upon seeing the two men.

 

 _'What I wouldn't give for a camera,'_ thought the Major, eyeing the scene.  Still, he had enough respect for the two men before him not to say so aloud.  Instead, he asked in low tones, "Who wants to wake them?"

 

"I shall," Teyla stated without hesitation.

 

"A woman's touch?" asked the Major in surprise.

 

"No. The quickest reflexes," Teyla replied as she fixed him with a 'don't be ridiculous' stare.  "They can both be…grumpy upon awakening, and the colonel is armed."  She pointed to the weapon clutched loosely in Sheppard's hand.

 

Lorne gulped and nodded.  "Be my guest."

 

The Athosian knelt beside the scientist, deeming him the safer of the two, and gently shook his shoulder.  "Doctor McKay, wake up," she crooned.  "It is time to go home."

 

"Wha…?  Huh….?"  The scientist was clearly not firing on all cylinders.  He raised his head and blinked at her several times without recognition before suddenly appearing to remember where he was.  "Teyla…?" he asked in wonderment.

 

"Yes, Doctor.  We have returned to take you home."  The Athosian woman smiled reassuringly at Rodney as she spoke.

 

His glazed eyes raised and registered the entire party then, a blank stare flitting from face to face until he returned to Teyla.  "Does anyone have a Power Bar on them?" he asked.

 

"Sure, doc, catch."  Lorne fished the requested item out of a pocket and tossed it to the scientist, who snatched it eagerly and ripped the wrapper off, consuming the foodstuff in two bites.  Chewing in satisfaction, he leaned back and closed his eyes, still keeping a possessive grip on the ZPM with one arm.

 

His relief was worrisome to Teyla, who had seen him like this before.  "Doctor McKay…are you having problems with your…blood sugar?"  After the incident in the shuttle with the Eratus bug, she had spent some of her waiting time in the infirmary investigating this 'hypoglycemia' that McKay had claimed to have.  All that was ultimately clear was that he needed frequent food intake, or the sugar in his bloodsteam would drop to dangerously low levels.

 

McKay nodded, keeping his eyes closed.  As he swallowed the chocolate, he could already feel himself start to revive a little.  His eyes popped open as he found another bar being pressed into his hand.  "Eat another; it's a long hike out of here."  Lorne was quick on the uptake.  "I have a few more of those if you need some on the way back."

 

Rodney nodded gratefully and tore into the second bar as Sheppard began to moan.  Speaking around a mouthful of junk food, McKay volunteered, "I think he's gotten an infection in that leg, but we didn't have any spare bandages."

 

The Major squatted next to his commanding officer.  "Don't worry, we'll take care of it."  Easing the P-90 out of the colonel's hand, he tried the same tact as Teyla and gently shook his shoulder.  "Colonel Sheppard?  We're going to get you out of here."

 

Sheppard looked much worse for the wear than Rodney, who was improving by the minute.  A fine sheen of sweat covered the pilot's face and at the Major's attempts to rouse him, the most response obtained was a partial opening of unfocussed eyes.  From his near proximity Lorne had to agree with McKay; he could feel the waves of heat radiating off the man.  Suddenly all business, he gestured to the two men with the litter.  "Let's get him loaded up and back to Atlantis.  The sooner he sees Beckett, the better off he'll be."

 

The stretcher was expeditiously unfolded and the LTC gently maneuvered onto it.  The man swam in and out of delirious consciousness, but fortunately remained still. Rodney refused to relinquish possession of the ZPM until they had reached the bottom of the stairwell.  In staring down the long, dark hallway before him, he decided that it might be in the interests of everyone concerned if someone younger and fitter were to lug it out of there. 

 

McKay barely remembered the trek back to Jumper Two.  After a few minutes it blurred into an interminable march along a poorly lit passageway which seemed to have stones strategically place every few yards to trip him up.  The third time he almost fell Teyla stationed herself surreptitiously at his elbow to steady him down the remaining corridor.

 

To everyone's relief it was no longer raining when they reached the outside, and Rodney was too tired to tell them why.  He opted to save the explanations for after a good meal and eight hours of sleep, and merely trudged along with the group.  The rest of the trip back to Atlantis was relatively uneventful.

 

Upon arrival the Jumper was swarmed by medical personnel, led by Beckett himself.  Taking one glance at Sheppard, he ordered, "Get this man on a gurney and get him to the infirmary.  I'll be along in a moment."

 

Kneeling beside McKay, Carson placed a hand on the knee of the bemused scientist.  During the flight he had regained possession of the ZPM and was now cradling it to his chest like a doll.  "Rodney?"  Beckett grasped the ZPM and gently began to pry it out of the astrophysicist's grip.  "Let me have this so we can get a look at you, all right?"

 

Suddenly returning from his mental vacation, Rodney focussed on the physician's face and smiled beatifically.  "Oh, hi Carson," he smiled.  Beckett took the ZPM from the now-unresisting hands and passed it to a waiting technician.

 

"How are you feeling, Rodney?"  Beckett pulled a penlight from a pocket and flicked it in and out of McKay's eyes.  Blinking in irritation, Rodney batted it away.

 

"I was fine before you blinded me," he groused.

 

Beckett sat back in satisfaction.  "Now _there's_ the old Rodney McKay," he chortled.  "I understand you had a hypoglycemic attack?"

 

McKay shrugged.  "Nothing a couple of Power Bars couldn't cure.  I'm fine now."

 

"Well, you do look all right, but we'll do a finger-stick glucose in the post-mission physical to be certain."  Beckett called to an orderly, "Make certain Dr. McKay comes straight to the infirmary, would you?" then stood and went to examine his other patient.

\---------------------------------------------

 

After determining that Sheppard was otherwise well, Beckett turned his attention to the LTC's right leg.  Rodney, Teyla, and Ronon stood off to the side, lingering around Medlab following their physicals in the hope of finding out about Colonel Sheppard's condition.  Carson didn't have the heart to throw them out, so he allowed them to stay as long as they weren't underfoot.

 

Examining the splint, he was impressed.  He glanced up at Ronon Dex. "You do this?", he inquired.

 

"Yeah."

 

Carson nodded.  "Nice work.  Leg's nice and straight.  I'll see if I can keep it that way."

 

He carefully started cutting and peeling away the bandages to expose the wounds, and whistled as he got a good look. The skin surrounding the wounds was red, puffy, and oozing purulent material.  "You were right about the infection, Rodney."

 

McKay gulped.  "You won't have to…you know…amputate or anything, will you?"

 

Beckett was aghast,  "Good heaven's, _no_!  It'll be painful for a while, but good wound care and some IV antibiotics ought to do the trick."

 

"Glad to hear it," came the weak comment from the exam table.

 

Carson whirled.  "So, ye've decided to join the land of the living!" he exclaimed with a grin.

 

"What happened?  The last thing I remember was McKay being so hypoglycemic that he nearly passed out."

 

Carson pinned Rodney with a glare.  "Oh, did he now?  Well, as you can see for yourself, he's doing fine now.  However, I think a glucose tolerance test is in order."

 

McKay groaned and sat heavily in a nearby chair, hiding his face in his hands.  He'd had that test before, and he hated it!  All the needles, and that syrup you had to drink made him gag.  No getting around the thing now, though.

 

"So what then?"

 

Teyla stepped forward.  "When we arrived, both you and Dr. McKay were sound asleep.  Dr. McKay had extracted the ZPM."

 

"Way to go, Rodney!"  Sheppard's 'thumbs up' was but a weak reflection of its normal enthusiasm, but McKay appreciated it nonetheless.

 

Beckett smiled in satisfaction, then went back to business.  "I'm going to ask the lot of you to leave, now. I need to sedate the colonel before we can clean up this wound, and as you can see, he's going to be fine."  Shooing them out into the corridor, he had a nurse administer the drugs, then went to work.

\-----------------------------

 

"Hey McKay, wait up!"  Sheppard hollered as he rapidly hobbled down the hall.  He had become quite adept at using crutches and could actually move on them faster than the average person could walk.  Nevertheless, McKay stopped and turned around.

 

"So I hear you're going back to the planet," said the colonel with studied nonchalance as the two began walking towards the jumper bay together.

 

"Well, since the ZPM was so depleted, we decided that we'd get more useful information from reinstalling it and studying the weather machine, not to mention investigating all the devices in the lab.  Zelenka and his team have already been down there a full day; I've got to catch up."  McKay spat the last bit in frustration.

 

Sheppard eyed him slyly.  "Sooo…how _did_ that glucose tolerance test go?"

 

"Just like all the others I've had," McKay snapped, picking up the pace.  "I had to spend the entire day in the infirmary, choke down that disgusting syrup, turn into 'The Human Pincushion', and ultimately puke up my toenails.  A fun time was had by all."

 

"So what did Beckett say to do?  Did he prescribe any medicine?"

 

"Sure."  Rodney came to a complete halt in the middle of the corridor and began rummaging through his pockets.  "Whenever I feel an attack coming on…" he produced a PowerBar from some fold of clothing, "I should take two of these and call him in the morning."

 

Sheppard raised an eyebrow.  "Eat a candy bar?"

 

"Like I didn't already know that," snorted the scientist, pocketing the treat and resuming his pace.

 

"Then why didn't you have any on you?"

 

Rodney had the grace to look embarrassed.  "I forgot," he mumbled.

 

"You're kidding!"  Sheppard gaped.

 

"No, I'm not.  Like I said before, you Americans always seem to have food laying about; it simply slipped my mind."  He got a determined scowl, then continued, "I'll remember from now on."

 

 _'So will I, Rodney,'_ thought the colonel, although aloud he commented, "I'm glad to see you're prepared today.  Have a safe trip."  So saying, he waved goodbye at the door to the jumper bay and headed to the mess hall to scrounge up some coffee.

 

This trip to the planet was much less eventful; in fact, looking out the viewscreen McKay could see vast plains of green interspersed with lakes and oceans.  ' _Without the overwhelming cloud cover, it actually looks habitable,'_ he mused.  They landed near the ruins, piling out into a clear day.  As McKay began to head towards the tunnel entrance, however, Lorne called out, "Doctor McKay!  This way, sir."  He pointed towards the breach in the wall through which they had originally approached the building.

 

McKay shook his head.  "No, no Major.  Don't you remember?  The outer shields keep us from going that way."

 

Now it was Maj Lorne's turn to look confused.  "Didn't you hear?  Dr. Zelenka raised those shortly after entering the building.  He said that it was too far to haul equipment otherwise."

 

McKay was dumbstruck; he stood motionless as his face first went chalk-white and then beet-red.  Lorne took a step backwards; the scientist looked none too stable.  After what seemed like eternity, the astrophysicist spun on his heel and marched to the research building.

 

Unfortunately the front door had hydraulics which prevented his slamming it open, but McKay gave it the 'old college try'.  Grabbing the first tech to cross his path, he ground out, "Where…is…Zelenka?"  The tech, wide-eyed, silently pointed towards the control room.  McKay drooped the man and strode toward the indicated door.

 

Just then the object of his search strode out, flailing his arms and cursing in Czech.  Unfortunately he was still staring behind himself at the object of his wrath, and ran full-force into Rodney.  As the two men staggered back from the impact, both managing not to fall, Zelenka turned his multilingual tongue-lashing towards the idiot who had gotten in his way.  This continued for only long enough for the slighter scientist to readjust his glasses and get a good look at who he was raging against.  With the alacrity of a lightswitch being thrown, his face lit up into a welcoming smile.

 

"Rodney!  You're here!  You have _got_ to see what we've discovered…"  So saying, he grabbed McKay's elbow and began dragging him towards the experiment lab.

 

McKay planted his feet and did his best imitation of the 'immovable object'.  "And just what kind of welcome was _that_?" he demanded.

 

The Czech didn't flinch, but rather pulled himself up to his full height, stuck out his chin defiantly, and replied, "The kind of welcome I give _nincompoops_ who walk into me as I'm exiting a room."

 

"Maybe next time you should look where you're _going_."  McKay fired right back.

 

To his surprise, Zelenka took his hands off his hips, smiled, and shrugged.  "Ahhhh, perhaps you are right.  It is not important.  What _is_ important is that we've found…."

 

McKay would not be mollified.  Crossing his arms, he demanded, "How did you do it?"

 

Zelenka stopped mid-sentence as he ransacked the corners of his mind.  No, he hadn't rerouted Rodney's plumbing or switched out his private stock of coffee for decaf…for the life of him he was at a loss.  Hands outstretched, he asked, "To what do you refer?"

 

McKay narrowed his eyes menacingly.  "You know very well what I'm talking about."  His foot began to tap.

 

Zelenka's eyes darted to and fro as he struggled to discern Rodney's meaning.  It was a puzzle, but he was sure he was missing a piece somewhere.  Finally he shrugged again, "I have absolutely _no_ idea what you are talking about.  However, if you want to see something interesting…" he tried to drag the man forward without success.

 

"The _shielding_ , Radek."  McKay felt he couldn't be plainer than that.

 

Zelenka glanced at the main door.  "I'm…sorry?" he said, still not understanding.  "The plating was inconvenient - it made us to walk over a mile extra distance through tunnel.  I raised it so we wouldn't have to haul heavy equipment all that way."  Surely Rodney would understand the concept of conservation of labor.

 

"HOW, Radek _HOW_?!?!!"

 

Zelenka stared at him in awe for a moment before he mumbled something about never having seen that shade of violet on a human being before, then replied, "I just hit the switch."

 

McKay hissed, "That console button controls the weather, Radek, _the weather_."

 

Radek nodded.  "Yes, yes of course.  But _that_ button," he pointed to a switch on the wall next to the main doorway that was mounted at about the height of a lightswitch, "controls the outer shields."

 

McKay followed Zelenka's finger with his eyes, finally settling on the indicated switch.  What could he say?  "Oh," about summed it up.  He had been concentrating so hard on that central control panel that he neglected the obvious; if someone wanted to go out, they would need a button next to the door…All the fury at being upstaged instantly drained away, leaving him momentarily at a loss. 

 

"Now will you come?" asked Radek, once more trying to steer him towards the research lab.  "There's this machine that appears to transmute matter, but only temporarily and only on a small scale.  If we could refine the research…"

 

"Transmutes matter?" asked McKay, grabbing the sentence like a life preserver.  "Why didn't you say so?"  Ignoring Radek's rolling eyes, he strode toward the room.  Zelenka shook his head, threw up his hands, and followed.

 

The End


End file.
